HINTS ON AUCTION BRIDGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 780, 28 September 1929, Page 30

HINTS ON AUCTION BRIDGE

Supporting Partner’s Bid (II) (Written tor THE SUX by •■Caliban.”—Copyright in Sew Zealand.) IX mv article last week I discussed, with reference to various initial bids, tha * minimum trick values of hands. 1 showed that Z s initial call ef One should be supported by Y on a hand worth oj-i tricks; his initial call of Two on a hand worth 3-31 tricks; his initial call ot Three on a hand worth 2-1-3 tricks; and so on. But now arises a somer, hat more difficult question. How is the trick-value of Y’s hand to be arrived at'. In the absence of definite information as to the aistnbuton of the cards, it is, of course, not possible ever to be certain that a band is worth a specified number of tricks. But an estimate of its possibilities can always be framed that is more likely to be accurate than not. 1 want to try and show, in this article, how I personally arrive at such an estimate. A.—Suit Calls. , . .. rr The trick-winning possibilities of a hand (other Jian a JSo liumpei) can be classified under five headings: — (1) Strength in the trump suit. (2) ‘ 1 Quick tricks” in outside suits. (3) Length in outside suits. (4) Stopping-cards in suits declared by the adversary. (5) Shortages in outside suits where there are trumps available for rufhng. B—No Trumps. . With No-Trump hands the position is somewhat different. L\erj thing depends on:— . ... (1) The 4 ‘stoppers” held in disclosed adverse suits, without which one’s partner’s No-Trumper should not be supported at all. (2) High cards, especially if in sequence, iu other suits. (3) Length in suits that there is a reasonable possibility of establishing. The estimation of trick-values, on the above bases, can best be illustrated by examples. Example I.—Score: Love All. Z deals and calls One Heart; A, One Spade. Y’s hand iff as follows: Spades, Ax x Hearts JO xx x Diamonds KQx x x Clubs x How manv tricks is Y’s hand worth? Applying the “classification of possibilities” just put forward, we find: (i) That Y has four trumps worth, say, 1-14 tricks. (ii) That he has two “quick tricks,” worth 14-2 tricks. (iii) That he has five Diamonds, with a good chance of establishing them, worth (i n addition to the “quick trick” already Counted) 1-1-2 tricks. (iv) That his “stopper” iu Spades has already been counted as a “ quick trick.” (v) That he has a singleton Club; but, as we have already allowed 1-11 tricks for his trumps, this is only worth, say, 4 trick more. With Hearts trumps, therefore, Y’s hand is worth 41-6 tricks, and he would be justified either in raising Z’s call pre-emptively to Three Hearts, or in bidding by stages up to Four. Example ll.—Score: Love All. Z deals and calls Two Hearts; A calls Four Olubs. Y holds: Spades A Hearts Ax x Diamonds Q J lOxxxx Clubs K x Y is fairly certain that Z holds six or more Hearts, and that A holds the Ace of Clubs. He has enough entries to ensure that his Diamonds will be established. He can therefore assess his hand at 3 “quick tricks” (including the Ace of Hearts), plus 4-5 tricks in Diamonds, say, 7 tricks in all, and he can call Four Heart?, or, if necessary, Five, without running any undue risk. Example ILL—Score: Love All. Z deals and calls Three Hearts; A, Three Spades. Y holds: Spades QJ x Hearts xx x x Diamonds x x Clubs K. Jx x Y’s hand is a poor one, but it would be wrong of him not to support his partner on it. His four Hearts are worth one trick; his “stopper” in Spades one trick; his Clubs half a triek; and his doubleton in Diamonds half a trick. He is justified, therefore, with three probable tricks in his hand, in raisng Z’s Heart call to Pour. Example IV.—Score: Love All. Z deals and calls One No Trump; A, Two Spades. Y holds: — Spades Q It) s i Hearts K x Diamonds £JIO x x Clubs x x His hand, as far as can be judged, is worth 1-1-2 tricks in Spades, 4 trick in Hearts, 2-1-3 tricks in Diamonds, or 4-1-5 tricks in all. He should therefore support the No-Trump call. Example V.—Score: Game All; ZY, 10; AB, 14. Z deals and calls One No-Trump; A, Two Hearts. Y holds: — Spades K x Hearts JlO x x Diamonds QJIO x Clubs xx x This is a “marginal” hand. It is probable that the stronger of the adverse hands is on Y”s right, in which case A may have difficulty in making Two Hearts. But at the score Y cannot run the risk of leaving Ain with his call. On the other hand, his hand is barely worth three tricks—say, half a trick in Spades, 1 trick in Hearts, 14-2 tricks in Diamonds. Nevertheless, in view of the score, he must support his partner’s! No-Trump.